“Since appearing on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ I’ve been getting a lot of supportive messages online. And they’re like, ‘Wow, it’s so great to see somebody like you with curves,'” said Justina Machado in her clip package before her Viennese waltz on “Top 11” night. The actress admitted she has felt insecure about her size at times in her life, so “if my thick thighs and my curves empower you, I’m so happy for that … To all the women out there that are struggling with insecurities, you are beautiful, and this one is for you.” Watch those empowering curves own the ballroom above, and see what the judges had to say about her performance below.
Bruno Tonioli: “You, my darling, are still on the crest of a wave — smooth as silk, light as a feather. You are radiant. I love to watch you dance. You fill the floor with joy.”
Carrie Ann Inaba: “Every time you come out on the dance floor I know it’s going to be good. I know I’m going to feel good watching you. You are elegant, you are refined. There was more emotion than we’ve seen in this dance; I really enjoyed that, you took it to another level. I’m not sure if your foot came off the ground. The camera was in the way, so I’m not going to take a point off. You are a beautiful dancer, and I love the joy you bring to all of us.”
Derek Hough: “Midway through that I said, ‘Carrie Ann, the foot didn’t come off.’ Justina, you are so reliable. You really, truly are very consistent. And your arms are so beautiful. You guys were perfectly in sync, which is really difficult to do with your arms. You’re floating across the floor, you’re spotting your turns … Just wonderful, well done.”
The judges gave Machado 9s across the board for a total of 27 out of 30, which put her in a four-way tie for the top of the leaderboard with AJ McLean, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Monica Aldama. This is Machado’s first time at the top since her season premiere performance, and to show such consistency from fast-paced Latin dances to Monday night’s slower romantic waltz bodes well for her as we get deeper into the season. Do you think she’s the Mirror Ball front-runner?
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